Tubular medical devices insertable into body lumens are well known in the medical field. Catheters are used diagnostically to inject contrast media, measure internal body dimensions, retrieve biopsy samples, and optically inspect internal body sites. Catheters are used therapeutically to deliver drugs, drain fluids, retrieve stones, deliver ultrasound, deliver laser light, provide access for minimally invasive surgery instruments and dilatate narrowed vessel passages. Intravascular catheters for the treatment of cardiovascular disease have become particularly well known in the field of medicine.
Other tubular devices are used in conjunction with diagnostic and therapeutic catheters. Guide wires provide an established path to and from target sites, allowing rapid advancement and retraction of catheters over the guide wires. Guide catheters provide a lubricous conduit within which other catheters can be introduced into the body.
Introducing catheters into the body often requires fluoroscopic visualization to aid the treating physician in guiding the catheter to the target site. In particular, intravascular cardiac guide catheters are often inserted into the femoral artery near the groin, advanced over the aortic arch, advanced into a coronary artery ostium, and further advanced to a coronary artery site of interest. In particular, inserting the guide catheter distal end into a coronary artery ostium requires an accurate image of the location and orientation of the catheter. Catheters are commonly formed of a non-radiopaque polymeric material. Therefore, a metallic radiopaque marker band is often added to the catheter distal end to render this region of the catheter visible under fluoroscopy. Platinum and gold are two commonly used maker band metals.
Marker bands can present problems. In particular, metallic marker bands require fixation to the underlying catheter, to avoid slippage as the catheter is advanced or retracted. The fixation of metallic marker bands to small diameter catheters adds complexity to the manufacturing process. The bands can protrude from the tube surface, presenting an undesirable increased profile. The bands can also provide a decrease in lubricity and an increase in stiffness in the local area of the band. The use of metallic bands as radiopaque markers has restricted their use to limited areas for the foregoing reasons.
What would be desirable and has not heretofore been provided is a tubular medical device having radiopaque markers disposed integrally with the tubular body. A tubular device being radiopaque or having radiopaque marker bands over most of the tubular body would be desirable. Radiopaque marker bands not having surface protrusions or the possibility of band slippage would be desirable.